At the Unifrance Rendez-Vous in Le Havre 2024, Hyeo Jin Moon, the Sales and Acquisitions Manager at Dandeloo, French animation ditributor, shared her insights into the current state of the audiovisual market, particularly focusing on trends and challenges in international content sales.
Hyeo Jin, responsible for overseeing business in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East, and Spain, expressed her concerns about the reduced presence of buyers at this year’s event. ‘I feel that there aren’t many buyers at this edition of the Rendez-vous’, she noted. ‘For example, there aren’t many Asians. I think there used to be a lot more, though I don’t think it’s because of the location change, but rather because things in Asia aren’t going well’.
She also reflected on the dynamics of client relationships, indicating a reliance on previously established contacts. ‘The clients I’ve met here are the same clients who had already bought from me earlier this year. There might be new sales, but probably not until the end of this year or next year’. She mentioned that some clients expressed a preference to meet directly at MIPCOM, highlighting the shifting landscape of business interactions.
Despite the challenges, Hyeo Jin acknowledged the strategic timing of the Rendez-vous, which precedes MIPCOM. ‘The fact that this market is right before MIPCOM is a positive thing. With Rendez-vous, we have a strategic period before MIPCOM, allowing us to see buyers and delve deeper into our deals’. This opportunity enables companies to strengthen connections and negotiate terms ahead of the larger market.
Hyeo Jin also observed a significant trend towards documentary content, noting, ‘I see a trend towards purchasing a lot of documentaries. It seems that sales are leaning more in that direction’. However, she voiced concerns about the market’s overall direction, particularly for animation content, which is Dandeloo‘s primary focus. ‘We only distribute animation, so we’re not in such an optimistic situation’, she stated, further explaining that changing viewing habits and demographics in France, such as decreasing birth rates, pose additional challenges.
Despite these obstacles, Hyeo Jin emphasized the importance of promoting educational content, saying, ‘That’s also our motivation—to promote educational content with more values, not just entertainment. It’s a struggle’. She also pointed out that public channels in Europe continue to have the budget to invest in educational programming, reflecting a collective responsibility to support quality content.
In conclusion, Hyeo Jin expressed appreciation for the format of the event, stating, ‘Here, in one building, we’re all packed together, we can meet each other easily, and that’s something positive’. The insights shared by Hyeo Jin provide a glimpse into the evolving landscape of content distribution and the strategic moves necessary to adapt to changing market conditions.
